Page 10 - DFCS News Magazine Summer 2015

A Relatively Unknown Piece of US Coast Guard Aviation History By Chuck Sweeney
This ar cle was wri en because DFCS mem- ber Michael Mumford, a re red USCG Avi- a on Survival Technician /Rescue Swimmer, in- quired about enrolling a KIA US Coast Guard pi- lot and also men oned an upcoming Mural dedi- ca on at the USCG Air Sta on, Traverse City, MI. The mural was to honor the Coast Guard’s Vi- etnam Combat Search and Rescue pilots as part of the Na onal Vietnam War Commemora on program to memorialize the 50th anniversary of the Vietnam War. With Michael’s help I was able to contact LCDR Pablo Smith, who is the PAO o cer at Traverse City and between them; they supplied me with a tremendous amount of informa on and picture for this story.
The USAF was tasked in 1964 with the responsi- bility for search and rescue forces in Vietnam by the JCS. As the war progressed and addi onal quali ed rescue pilots were required, they ap- proached the USCG for supplemental help in early 1966 and a Memorandum of Agreement was signed in March 1967. Out of the rst 80 volunteers, ve were selected and received spe- cialized training and nally arrived in Vietnam in April 1968. They quickly t in and ew combat rescue missions as copilots shortly a er they ar- rived. Since the USCG pilots were so well quali- ed, they quickly became designated command pilots and instructor pilots, ying some of the most dangerous rescue missions. Although fre- quently junior in rank, they o en ew with a Major or Lt. Colonel as copilot but the rank dis- parity did not interfere with the mission.
They learned how to adapt to the new environ- ment and readily passed their exper se to the USAF pilots in the squadrons. Before the hos li- es ended, twelve USCG pilots did exchange tours with the USAF in Vietnam. Some of their signi cant achievements are captured on this website: uscgavia onhistory.aoptero.org/ history06.html but I have taken one of the rescue stories from that document and included it here to give you a feel for what they were doing.
“Lieutenant James C. Quinn was on a Laos orbit as aircra commander in a
HC-130P, and Lieutenant (jg) Robert T. Ritchie was in Laos looking for a downed OV-10 pilot. The thick jun- gle canopy was making it di cult to locate the survi- vor but Ritchie knew him to be somewhere on the west slope of the valley. Radio contact was estab- lished. Nail 53 could hear the helicopter but he could not see it. A er further conversa ons, Ritchie felt he had the pilot located and lowered the penetrator. At this moment radio contact was lost. Ritchie had the ight engineer leave the penetrator down wai ng for an indica on the survivor was on the penetrator by shaking the cable signaling he was ready to be pulled up. A er a reasonable wait period with no signal, the penetrator was raised and Ritchie moved to another spot, sending it down again. This shing con nued but Nail 53 did not respond. The low-fuel warning lights illuminated, and Ritchie informed Quinn he would need fuel. A er a few more minutes without a nibble from the survivor, Ritchie instructed the ight engineer to retract the penetrator because they had to depart. The ight engineer responded, indica ng it felt like someone suddenly was jiggling the penetrator. Shortly therea er came the pull-up signal.
When the low-fuel lights came on in an HH-3, the pilot had 15 to 20 minutes of fuel remaining. Five minutes had passed since the ini al warning. It took addi onal me to reel in 210 feet of cable and get the survivor inside. Ritchie alerted Quinn that his sit- ua on was cri cal — if he could not hit the trailing fuel-hose drogue on the rst try, he would be in need of rescue. With full power on the jet engines, Ritchie began his climb. Suddenly the adrenaline owed as something dark and massive appeared be- low him. It was a HC- 130P with drogues streaming. Quinn had le orbit at al tude, and amazingly, came up under the Jolly Green just above the treetops be- fore the helicopter cleared the ridge line of the com- pact valley. Ritchie plugged in and they climbed out as one.”
Everyone up and down the chain of command laud- ed their capabili es and they enhanced the legends of the “Jolly Greens”. They regularly risked their lives ying into harm’s way to save airmen in peril of death or capture. For their signi cant contribu ons
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